Highway Safety

Overview

The primary responsibilities of the Office of Highway Safety are housing and maintaining the Statewide Collision Database, analyzing and disseminating collision statistics, and administering the federal section 402 highway safety funds.

Where and Who We Are

The Office of Highway Safety is located in Boise, Idaho at the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) headquarters complex. The Office of Highway Safety is located in the triple wide trailer that runs parallel to State Street.

The physical address is:

Idaho Transportation Department-Office of Highway Safety

3311 W. State Street, Boise, ID 83707-1129

Phone: (208) 334-8100 Fax: (208) 334-4430

The mailing address is:

Idaho Transportation Department-Office of Highway Safety

PO Box 7129 Boise, ID 83707-1129

How We Fit In

The Office of Highway Safety is under the Division of Engineering Products and Plans of the Idaho Transportation Department and works closely with other Department sections and districts to promote safe driving behaviors and improve the safety of roadways on the state highway system.

The Director of the Idaho Transportation Department serves as the Governors highway safety representative. The Office of Highway Safety is managed by the Highway Safety Manager. The Office of Highway Safety consists of two teams: the records team and the programs team. The records team is responsible for maintaining, updating, and ensuring the quality of the statewide motor vehicle crash database. The program team is responsible for administering Idaho’s Federal highway safety funds and analyzing and disseminating the crash data. All funding is subject to approval by the Idaho Traffic Safety Commission and the Idaho Transportation Board.

Vision Statement: To be the best in the country in promoting safety on Idaho’s roads in an efficient and effective manner.

Operating Philosophy: The Office of Highway Safety has a deep concern for the welfare of the traveling public, and believe our main purpose is to save lives through creative, highly visible, innovative, and effective highway safety programs for all modes of transportation. We are committed to our critical role within the State of Idaho, and the rest of the nation, to ensure safe travel on Idaho’s roadways. As stewards, we have a responsibility to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives.

The continuation and expansion of state and local partnerships is essential to our success. The primary mission is to identify existing and emerging traffic safety trends through statistically-based problem identification efforts, to efficiently provide decision makers accurate data for use in determining where the most effective highway safety investment is made. This includes the task to develop and implement highway safety programs that save lives and prevent injuries, and to provide appropriate safety funds that empower communities to address critical local traffic safety issues.

As highway safety professionals, we are committed to teamwork, integrity and maintaining a positive working environment. In our highway safety partnerships, we respond, cooperate, and provide accurate and timely service. We are a leader in a coordinated statewide effort to eliminate death and serious injury on all of Idaho’s roadways.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving is a high-risk behavior. High-risk drivers climb into the anonymity of an automobile and take out their frustrations on anybody at any time. For them, frustration levels are high, and level of concern for fellow motorists is low. Most people believe that the worst thing that can happen if they speed or fail to obey traffic signals is that they will get a ticket, so it’s an acceptable risk. Drivers like this are wrong. Maybe even dead wrong, because aggressive driving can kill. Aggressive driving contributed to 222 deaths on Idaho roads from 2012 to 2014, and another 1,913 people were seriously injured in aggressive-driver involved crashes.

Child Restraint Basics – Pocket Card
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) created a pocket card which provides child restraint basic recommendations to parents and caregivers. The card features restraint types and positions based on a child’s height, weight and age. The card is free.

Car Seat Registration
One of the most important goals for child passenger safety is to make sure that car seats and boosters meet all Federal Safety Standards. If it is determined that a car seat or booster doesn’t comply with the required safety standards, a recall may occur so that the manufacturer can fix the problem. Registering your seat makes sense because it gives the manufacturer the ability to contact you about recalls and safety notices.

Used Child Safety Seats
Don’t buy or sell used car seats. Although it is nice to share and reuse baby items, car seats are one product that shouldn’t be reused. The components used in the typical car seat deteriorate and weaken over time. Car seats have an expiration date stamped on the back of the seat; the expiration date is typically six years from the seat’s manufacture date. Click here for details on retiring a car seat.

The above information provided courtesy of consumer reports – Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.

It is important to read and clearly understand all safety and booster seat installation and use instructions. Having your child safety seat initially inspected and re-inspected often by a trained professional increases your child’s chances of escaping injury in the event of a car crash.

Become a Technician

Child Passenger Safety Technicians train properly fit child safety seats. Out of the thousands of child safety seats installed in vehicles over 80% of them are incorrectly installed according to National surveys conducted by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The NHTSA Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training course is designed to certify child safety advocates as Child Passenger Safety Technicians. The course provides attendee’s with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide parents with accurate and consistent information regarding child car safety seats.

The Idaho Office of Traffic and Highway Safety recommends that anyone providing parent technical information regarding their child’s car seat should attend this valuable training course. The Idaho CPS program provides free Child Passenger Safety Inspection Stations through our hospitals, fire departments, police departments, and District Public Health Department offices. At these locations parents and caregivers can learn how to safely transport children by using the properly fitted child safety seats. Click here for a list of current child safety seat check sites in Idaho, then enter Idaho and the zip code.

If you wish to take this course, you must register online at the National SAFE KIDS. This site describes policies and administrative requirements for course registration and certification for the National Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training Program. For those contemplating taking the course, please keep in mind that this is not an easy course and is physically exerting. It is a full 40-hour course with a child safety seat check and an on-line exam that must be passed. It also requires the physical ability to climb in and out of cars, placing pressure on car seats to install them properly. It is not recommend for persons with back problems take this course. To register you will need to be prepared to use a credit card to charge your registration fee of $60.00. This registration fee includes your manual and your 2-year NHTSA National Certification . To remain current CPS technicians must recertify every 2 years.

If you have questions after you have read this page, or for details regarding course availability in Idaho contact Carma McKinnon at (208) 742-1683 or carma@lemhicountyidaho.org.

Emergency service personnel across Idaho have a tool available to help identify small children involved in motor vehicle crashes. The WHALE program “We Have A Little Emergency” gives instant identification of a child in a car safety seat in the event that an adult in the car is injured and unable to talk.

The WHALE identification card provides emergency personnel information to identify young children involved in a crash. Sometimes just knowing a child’s name can help rescue workers comfort young patients. Rescue workers can refer to an identification card attached to the safety seat and find the child’s name, medical information and who to contact in case of emergency. Stickers affixed to car windows and the safety seat also alert emergency workers that the child’s information is close at hand.

An Identification Card — containing a space for a photograph of the child, and important information about the child in the safety seat, such as the child’s name, date of birth, pertinent medical information, and whom to contact in an emergency.

Two WHALE (seat) Stickers — the WHALE logo, to be attached to each side of the child safety seat.

Two WHALE (window) Stickers — featuring the WHALE logo, to be attached to the lower rear corner of the vehicle’s windows.

For more information on distribution points or to get a WHALE Kit in English or Spanish, please contact Sherry Jenkins, Office of Highway Safety, at (208) 334-4460 or sherry.jenkins@itd.idaho.gov

Idaho’s child passenger safety law requires all children 6 years of age or younger be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety restraint. This is a primary law, and current infraction penalties and fees may be reviewed on the Idaho Supreme Court’s website Infraction Penalty Schedule.

Child Passenger Safety Laws in Other States
If you happen to be travelling in other states, please be aware that other state laws differ from Idaho’s. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands require child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria. Click here for other states’ laws pertaining to child passenger safety.

Courageous Voices

The effort is called Courageous Voices and will use a variety of media including television, radio, billboard and web-based ads (see below for examples). The goal is to encourage citizens to speak up and end impaired driving. People throughout our communities can become involved.

Community leaders and policy makers need to speak up and make sure that alcohol special use permit holders take steps so there is no drinking and driving. Compliance checks and beverage server training should be standard practice. Sustained DUI enforcement coupled with best-practices in sentencing and specialty DUI courts reduce repeat offenders.

Alcohol retailers and bars can assure that servers are trained on how to identify underage drinkers and not over-serve patrons. Workplaces can make sure to plan ahead to make sure people are not drinking and driving when attending any work-related social events that involve alcohol. Schools can embrace evidence-based strategies and programs to reduce underage drinking.

Families can establish clear guidelines about never drinking and driving. Individuals can create plans about how they will get home before drinking ever starts.

Everyone can choose to speak up when they encounter someone who should not be driving. The choices are simple: individuals who have been drinking either need to stay where they are or get a ride.

And finally, if someone does choose to drink and drive, then we need to call 911. It is far better to call 911 before the crash than having to call 911 after the crash.

Between 2010 and 2012 in Idaho, over 230 people were killed and 791 people seriously injured in crashes involving impaired driving. In fact, over 40 percent of all fatal crashes involved impaired drivers. (Source: 2012 Impaired Driving Statistical Report, ITD.)

Over the past 30 years, there have been significant reductions in impaired driving. However, we have not seen significant reductions in the past five to ten years.

Traditional strategies to reduce impaired driving have focused on the driver. While these strategies are important, it is time to broaden efforts to include the entire community.

ITD is initiating an innovative approach that engages the entire community in ending impaired driving in Idaho. The project is beginning with a pilot in three Idaho communities: Blackfoot, Lewiston and Twin Falls.

Strong Community Norms Support Courageous Voices

A recent survey conducted by the Center for Health and Safety Culture (www.mostofus.org) on behalf of the Idaho Transportation Department revealed strong positive norms regarding protective behaviors and attitudes about impaired driving in Idaho. The survey asked over 1,300 adults across Idaho about the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors regarding drinking and driving.

Three important norms were revealed across the state:

Most Idaho adults do NOT drink and drive;

Most Idaho adults support strong enforcement of drinking and driving laws; and

Most adults would try to prevent someone from drinking and driving.

However, many adults misperceived these positive norms. For example, while most adults in Idaho do not drink and drive, many Idaho citizens think most other adults in their community do.

Most adults in Idaho support strong enforcement of impaired driving laws and believe establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold should have a role in preventing drinking and driving.

Most adults also believe they should try to prevent someone else from drinking and driving, although they don’t always know how or have a sense of support from those around them for taking such action.

Ways to Get Involved

Currently, this pilot project is underway in three communities: Blackfoot, Lewiston and Twin Falls. However, if you are interested in ending drinking and driving in your community, please contact your local substance abuse prevention coalition or your local law enforcement agency to see how you can get involved.

Distracted Driving

Distraction is defined by NHTSA as a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention away from the task of driving to focus on another activity instead. These distractions can be electronic distractions, such as navigation systems and cell phones, or more conventional distractions, such as interacting with passengers and eating. These distracting tasks can affect drivers in different ways and are categorized into the following three types:

Visual – taking your eyes off the road;

Manual – taking your hands off the wheel; and

Cognitive – taking your mind off the road.

Research conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) in 2006 reported that, “Nearly 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. The primary cause of driver inattention in this major study included such distracting activities as cell phone use and factors that significantly increase risk such as reaching for a moving object (a 9 times greater risk) and drowsiness (4 times greater).” Distracted driving caused by the use of a cell phone or any other electronic device to make a phone call, text a message, read email messages, manipulate music files or search for direction information is an ever growing concern.

In an effort to provide materials for outreach and education, and to help raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, the Distracted Driving Task Force generated a toolkit of information for public use and mass distribution.

To get involved, please use the following toolkit information to help promote attentive driving for life:

Serious and, often times, fatal crashes are the result of distracted driving. Anytime you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the steering wheel, and/or take your mind off driving, you become a distracted driver.

Resist the urge to text, talk on a cell phone, eat or drink while driving.

What are Local Teens Doing? Youth all over the state are doing wonderful things to get the word out about distracted driving. Did your school create a message to teens about the dangers of texting and driving or distracted driving. If so, tell us about it. We’d love to share it with other teens around the state. Send us a link to your YouTube video, the PSA, or a .jpg of the artwork to: ohsweb@itd.idaho.gov

Seat Belts

The cost of crashes involving unrestrained occupants was $589 million in 2014.

Idaho’s observed safety restraint use rate decreased slightly from 81.6% in 2013 to 80.2% in 2014 . While the observed seat belt use rate was 80%, only 44% of the motor vehicle occupants killed in crashes were wearing seat belts. If everyone had been wearing seat belts, 34 of the 67 unbelted motor vehicle occupants may have been saved.— Idaho Traffic Crashes 2014

Safety restraints, when used, are the most effective safety feature ever introduced for vehicles, cutting in half the likelihood for fatal and serious injuries resulting from traffic crashes. (Traffic Safety Facts 2012, NHTSA). By this estimate there were 54 lives saved in 2014 by seat belt usage and an additional 34 lives could have been save if everyone had buckled up.

Males – Males are less likely than women to buckle up. In Idaho, men comprised 61% of all the passenger vehicle occupants killed. Of the 419 male passenger vehicle occupants killed from 2010-2014, 60% (250) were unrestrained, while 50% (135)of the 269 female passenger vehicle occupants killed from 2010-2014 were unrestrained.

Rural Roads – Crashes occurring on rural roads accounted for 84% of the passenger vehicle occupants killed. Of the 357 passenger vehicle occupants killed on rural roads over the last 3 years, 61% (218) were unrestrained.

The following tables were developed to show the costs associated with motor vehicle crashes and specifically how increased seat belt use age could decrease those costs. The data has been limited to occupants of passenger motor vehicles over the age of six. The (Actual) total number of motor vehicle occupants, the number using seat belts, the number not using seat belts and the expected totals (assuming 100% seat belt use) are shown by injury type for each county. The costs associated with the injuries are also shown.

Just over 70% of these costs are paid by the general public through insurance premiums, taxes, direct out-of-pocket payments for goods and services and increased charges for medical care. The other 30% are paid by the individuals involved in the crash.

The number in the “100% Use Expected Totals“ column are the number of persons killed and injured we would have expected if every occupant that was not wearing a seat belt had been wearing a seat belt. These numbers are based on estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that seat belts are 50% effective in preventing fatalities and serious injuries.

For example, in Nez Perce County, 3 people were killed that were not wearing seat belts. Assuming they had all been wearing seat belts, half of them would have survived and half would have been killed. To get the expected number killed, we take half of the persons not wearing seat belts that were killed = 1.5 plus the 2 that were killed wearing a seat belt is equal to 4 (3.5 rounds up to 4). Add that to the unknown seat belt use, and you would have expected to have 4 people killed (instead of 5) if everyone had been wearing a seat belt. The other 1 (that would have survived) is added into the serious injuries. The expected number of serious injuries is equal to the number of belted serious injuries plus half of the unbelted serious injuries plus half of the unbelted people killed plus the people with unknown belt use. (19 + (9/2) + (1.5 prevented fatalities) + 3) = (19 + 4.5 + 1.5 + 3) = 28. For simplicity, we assume that the serious injuries that would have been prevented became visible injuries.

The savings is equal to the total cost minus the 100% use expected total cost.

The Office of Highway Safety conducts observational seat belt surveys every year. The surveys are conducted at 100 sites throughout the state. The surveys are used to estimate seat belt usage throughout the state. Blank pages have been removed from the documents.

The actual Idaho code, 49-673, can be accessed by clicking on the link.

Idaho law requires everyone in a vehicle to wear safety restraints. Other provisions under the law include:

Adult violators, 18 and older, are subject to a $10 citation.

An adult driver is ticketed for passengers younger than 18 who are not properly restrained.

If the driver is younger than 18 and the driver or any occupant younger than 18 fails to wear a seat belt, court costs are added to the fine. Current infraction penalties and fees may be reviewed on the Idaho Supreme Court’s website, specific link: Infraction Penalty Schedule

A law enforcement officer can issue a citation solely for a safety restraint violation, but there must be another violation leading to the traffic stop.

Youth Education

Idaho Teen Driving website:

Serious and, often times, fatal crashes are the result of distracted driving. Anytime you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the steering wheel, and/or take your mind off driving, you become a distracted driver.

Resist the urge to text, talk on a cell phone, eat or drink while driving.

What are Local Teens Doing?
Youth all over the state are doing wonderful things to get the word out about distracted driving. Did your school create a message to teens about the dangers of texting and driving or distracted driving. If so, tell us about it. We’d love to share it with other teens around the state. Send us a link to your YouTube video, the PSA, or a .jpg of the artwork to: ohsweb@itd.idaho.gov

The Office of Highway Safety produces educational materials which are available at no cost to qualified organizations for distribution to the general public. Typically, the materials are made available to law enforcement agencies, government and non-profit organizations.

The SHSP is a clear, concise document that helps coordinate goals and highway safety programs across the state. The collaborative process of developing and implementing the SHSP helps Idaho’s safety partners work together in education, enforcement, engineering, emergency response and policy to help reduce fatalities and serious injuries on Idaho roadways.

Planning into Action – The SHSP also articulates priorities that have been established by a diversity of safety stakeholders, thereby helping to assure these priorities represent the shared interests of multiple partners and enhancing their likelihood of successful funding.

Safety Programs & Funding

Description of Programs

The Office of Highway Safety administers the Federal Highway Safety Programs, which currently are funded by formula through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-ACT) and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. The goal of the program is to eliminate deaths and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes by implementing programs designed to address driver behaviors. The purpose of the program is to provide funding at the state and community level for a highway safety program that addresses Idaho’s own unique circumstances and particular highway safety needs.

Only state and local governmental units or non-profits are eligible to receive highway safety funding. The highway safety funding process applications must be received by 5:00 PM, Friday, February 17, 2017. Applications may be e-mailed to the Office of Highway Safety. Applications that are not received by the specified deadline are automatically ineligible.

Overview of the Highway Safety Performance Plan Process

The Office of Highway Safety offers law enforcement agencies throughout the state the opportunity to participate in Traffic Enforcement Mobilizations (saturation patrols), which support enforcement efforts by agencies to reduce deaths, serious injuries and economic loss as part of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). Dedicated enhanced enforcement efforts and /or traffic enforcement equipment for regular duty dedicated mobilization enforcement are funded for hours worked during the mobilizations. Participation in the mobilization is initiated by a Traffic Enforcement Mobilization Agreement (TEMA) between the agency and the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety.

Traffic Enforcement Mobilization agreements, claims and reporting are now online. Each law enforcement agency that intends to participate in and apply for the Traffic Enforcement Mobilization Program must first receive the proper login and password. Each user requires a unique login and password. To request your login and password email Michael Seals michael.seals@itd.idaho.gov

A “traffic safety problem” is an identifiable subgroup of drivers, pedestrians, vehicles, or roadways that is statistically higher in collision experience than normal expectations. Problem identification involves the study of relationships between collisions and the population, licensed drivers, registered vehicles, and vehicle miles traveled, as well as characteristics of specific subgroups that may contribute to collisions.

The process used to identify traffic safety problems began initially by evaluating Idaho’s experience in each of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) eight highway safety priority areas. These were program areas determined by NHTSA to be most effective in reducing motor vehicle collisions, injuries and deaths. Consideration for other potential traffic safety problem areas came from analyzing Idaho collision data, suggestions from Idaho Traffic Safety Commission (ITSC) members, suggestions by Office of Highway Safety staff, and by researching issues identified by other states. All traffic safety problems must be validated with supporting data and there must be an effective countermeasure to address the problem that is eligible for Federal highway safety funds.

In order to receive the Federal highway safety funding, each State must submit a High Safety Plan, which includes a description of the processes used by the State to identify its highway safety problems, define its highway safety performance measures, set goals for those performance measures, and develop projects and activities to address its problems and achieve its goals. The Plan, approved by the Governor’s Representative for Highway Safety, must also include descriptions of the projects and activities the State plans to implement and link the countermeasure strategies and projects to the goals identified in the Plan.

Each State is also required to submit an Annual Report within 90 days of the end of the Federal Fiscal Year which evaluates the State’s progress in meeting its highway safety goals, using performance measures identified in the Highway Safety Plan and describes how the projects and activities funded during the fiscal year contributed to meeting the State’s highway safety goals.

Crash Records & Statistics

Access to Crash Records/Database

Crash records are considered public information, and as such, are available to the general public. In accordance with Idaho Code, the OHS charges for each copy of a crash report, if applicable. The charge is $7.00 plus handling. Requests for crash reports may be made Online through Access Idaho. Statistical information not contained in the annual Idaho Traffic Crashes Report (below) can also be obtained through the OHS, with the same charges applicable.

Local and State agencies are able to analyze the crash data using WebCARS, a web based analysis system developed by the OHS. For more information on eIMPACT or WebCARS, contact Margaret Goertz at (208) 334-8104 or Margaret.Goertz@itd.idaho.go

A Vehicle Crash Report (VCR) is filled out for every crash that involves a motor vehicle, occurs on public property and results in more than $1500 ($750 before January 1, 2006) property damage for any one person involved in the crash, or results in and injury to any person involved. All law enforcement agencies in Idaho (City Police, County Sheriffs, and the Idaho State Police) are required by Idaho Code 49-1306 to send VCR forms to the Office of Highway Safety (OHS). All law enforcement agencies are now completing the VCRs on the software program called Idaho’s Mobile Program for Accident CollecTion (eIMPACT).

The software allows local agencies to store the crash information locally and transmit the data to the OHS electronically. This allows easy access to the data for each local agency, eliminates the need for local agencies to keep paper copies on hand, eliminates the need to print off a copy of the report and mail it to the OHS, and eliminates the need to re-key the data into our database.

Coding and Data Entry

Just over 20,800 reportable crashes were entered into the database in 2012. Each report must be coded, checked for completeness and accuracy, and entered into the crash database. Each full-time technician is responsible for approximately 4,700 VCRs per year. Each VCR includes 89 crash level data elements (location, environment, and conditions), 45 unit level data elements plus 16 additional data elements that are filled out for commercial motor vehicles, 19 person level data elements plus 15 additional data elements that are filled out for the person in control of the unit, and 2 additional elements for drivers licensed in Idaho. These elements encompass all three aspects of the crash: environment (including location and road conditions), vehicle, and person information. The accuracy of the data is dependent upon the correct interpretation by the law enforcement officer, as well as the technician in the OHS.

The OHS is currently providing free training to law enforcement agencies in advanced crash reporting to improve the quality and accuracy of the information collected. For more information about the training, contact Kirstin Weldin at Kirstin.Weldin@itd.idaho.gov

Archiving

The OHS archives hard copy (paper) VCRs using microfilm. The OHS has microfilmed VCRs dating back to 1971. The film is stored in both the OHS and the General Service’s microfilm vault for protection. Crash reports sent electronically are archived in the crash data base.

Statistical Information

Every year, the Office of Highway Safety publishes Idaho Traffic Collisions. This report tabulates, analyzes and summarizes the various aspects of traffic collisions. The report has been broken up into sections to facilitate searching for specific information.

The Ignition Interlock Manufacturers listed in the link below have been certified by the Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) to meet the standards set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for Model Specifications for Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIIDS).

It is suggested that individuals ordered by the court to install an ignition interlock contacteach company listed in the link below to determine the nearest service center, cost, availability, and appointment requirements.